The Appointed Time

Genesis 21: 1 – 2 says, “The Lord came to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him.”

Now let’s backtrack a bit to Genesis 17 and visit some verses there.

Genesis 17: 16 – 17 – “God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai, for Sarah will be her name.I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will produce nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?”

Genesis 17: 19 – “But God said, “No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his future offspring.”

Genesis 17: 21 – But I will confirm my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”

Let’s also visit Genesis 18 and look at some verses

Genesis 18: 10 – 12 – The Lord said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him. Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. So she laughed to herself: “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I have delight?”

Genesis 18: 14 – Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.”

I believe we now understand the opening scripture better.

Genesis 21: 1 – 2 says, “The Lord came to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him.”

I will love to encourage someone out there today. I want you to know that our God is a promise keeper and His word will never return to Him void but it will accomplish that which it has been sent to do (Isaiah 55:11).

“The Lord came to Sarah and did for Sarah what He had promised.” Darling, the Lord will come to you and fulfill that which He has promised you. However, I want you to understand that He will not do it until the appointed time. No matter how long it takes, no matter what the situation and circumstances look like, be rest assured that at the appointed time, your blessing will not pass you by. God never forgets His promise. If it hasn’t happened yet, then it is not time yet.

The circumstances surrounding Sarah and Abraham’s issue was old age. Sarah was 90 years old. The old woman had already hit menopause. And when she heard the Lord say that she will bear a son, she couldn’t help but laugh. She had given up hope. And maybe you are like Sarah today and you can’t just see how your circumstance will change.

Oh darling, “Is anything impossible for the Lord?” Absolutely Nothing. No amount of menopause could pause the blessing of God over Sarah and Abraham. And no obstacle will obstruct the blessings of God over you. He did it for Sarah, He can do it for you. The same God back then is still the same God right now. He is still on the throne. He does not change.

All am asking is that you have faith and keep your hope in God.

Now, before I leave, let me share with you what Sarah said when she gave birth to her son.

Genesis 21: 7, “She also said, “Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son for him in his old age.”

Darling, this will be your testimony by God’s grace. You will look at your life and marvel. “Who would have told me that this or that would happen?” Who would?

The world will tell you it’s too late, they will tell you to quit trying. They probably told Sarah this, “You have reached menopause, you won’t have a baby. Even if by some miracle you do, your child has a high chance of having some congenital disorder or might die.”

But they will never tell you about how nothing is impossible for God. Well, probably because the world doesn’t know the God you serve. They don’t know him, so they make speculations, spill their faithless opinions and talk from their foolishness which to them is wisdom.

Now, darling I trust that you are wise in the Lord and you will not allow all that negativity and faithless words get to you instead of trusting in God. Because you know that with Him nothing is impossible and at the appointed time, He will make you laugh (Genesis 21: 6). “Don’t take the words of the world over the words of the word Himself.”

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Author: Esther Ademiju

Esther Ademiju is founder and teacher of Growing God's Eternal Family. She is gifted with the ability to teach God’s word with simplicity yet undiluted to His people. Her passion is to teach God’s word, share His love & bring the good news to as many as He enables her to reach. Aside from sharing God's word, Esther is a new graduate nurse and very passionate about caring for others.​
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